yahoo - 5/20/2026 11:59:42 PM - GMT (+2 )
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I’ve seen Grade 6 science fair bridges made of plastic straws and pipe cleaners with hardier integrity than the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland suffered one of the most ground-shaking collapses in NBA playoff history in the opener of the Eastern Conference Finals, blowing a 22-point lead to the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter on Tuesday.
If Cleveland is going to pick up the pieces, our Cavaliers vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks call for a collective effort including a big day from Cavs big man Jarrett Allen on Thursday, May 21.
Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 2 predictionCavaliers vs Knicks best bet: Jarrett Allen Over 19.5 points + rebounds (-112)Jarrett Allen didn’t have a bad game in the opener, scoring 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting with seven rebounds. But at times, the Cleveland Cavaliers forgot about him.
The New York Knicks are susceptible inside, as we saw versus Joel Embiid in Round 2, and Cleveland must make a focused effort on getting Allen touches – especially against smaller forwards.
Allen can also put up points from offensive rebounds and snatched six of his seven boards on that end. He generated 17 rebounding chances in Game 1 yet walked away with only one defensive rebound.
Projections call for 13+ points and 10+ boards Thursday.
COVERS INTEL:Not only did Allen’s usage dip from 16.8% to 13.8 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals but the Cavs center also left points on the table, shooting just 4-for-8 from the foul line after shooting 67.4% from the stripe in Round 2.The Cavaliers were playing excellent basketball up until that flop in the fourth quarter. The collapse is going to scare a lot of people off, so we’re getting some extra padding on the point spread with Cleveland.
The Cavs are a solid 27-9 SU off a loss on the year, including a 4-2 record off a loss in the postseason.
Jarrett Allen should have seen the ball more in Game 1 and we’ll see Cleveland feed the interior to compress the Knicks perimeter defense.
His game projections sit above 13 points with a ceiling of 10 rebounds. The rebounding chances were there in Game 1, he just deferred those boards to Evan Mobley.
Josh Hart may not play as big a role in this series as he has in the Knicks’ postseason run. Cleveland played off of him, using Allen to guard and begging Hart to shoot.
The Knicks also got good defense from Landry Shamet, who stole minutes from Hart. Game 2 models come in short of this 12.5-point total.
Cavaliers vs Knicks SGP- Cavaliers +6.5
- Jarrett Allen Over 19.5 points + rebounds
- Josh Hart Under 12.5 points
- Spread: Cleveland +6.5 (-115) | New York -6.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Cleveland +195 | New York -240
- Over/Under: Over 215.5 (-110) | Under 215.5 (-110)
Cleveland is 27-9 SU when coming off a loss this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Knicks.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 2| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date | Thursday, May 21, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Not intended for use in MA.
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